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Which East Germanic languages became extinct?
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Germanic languages
Distribution of the Germanic languages in Europe.
The East Germanic languages are an extinct branch of the Germanic language family. While Gothic—the most well-documented of these—is the primary language associated with this group, the branch also comprised the languages of several other tribes.12
According to historical records, the East Germanic languages that became extinct include:
- Gothic: This language, which included Ostrogothic and Visigothic dialects, persisted in various regions until at least the 6th century in Italy and potentially until the 8th century in Spain, with traces found in Crimea as late as the 16th century.2
- Vandalic: Known through names recorded in Greek and Latin writings.2
- Burgundian: Little is known about this language beyond its classification within the group.2
- Gepidic: Like Burgundian, there is very little surviving information regarding this language.2
- Rugian: Also categorized as an East Germanic language with limited surviving evidence.2
These languages are now considered entirely extinct, leaving Gothic as the only member of the group with significant textual remains, most notably the Gothic Bible.21